One of Those Days
by Ultimagu
Summary: You ever had one of those days when everything seems to crash around you? Here's Zakharov's day of misfortune.
1. One of Those Days

**AN: I do not own any part of the Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri universe except the crazy ideas I may write about for your viewing pleasure.**

**(Story)**

One of the most annoying characteristics of some of the bases in the world was that they had an understood quality to them; U.N. Health Authority was probably one of the dirtiest bases on all of Chiron, while Hive Harbour hadn't been on the shoreline since mission year 2309 A.D. due to global changes in the temperature. As Provost Zakharov gazed upward at the side of Mount Helen, the dragon which lay sprawled on the side of that volcanic mountain was the most famous base which had never been used as a capital: Defiance Freehold. Colonel Santiago had commissioned the initial framework to be built in mission year 2143 A.D. to defend the inner valleys of the rich Monsoon Jungle which fed the extensive Spartan Federation.

Zakharov was an old man, far older than any other human being. He had been born in Soviet Ukraine and had been nearly 80 years old by the time the first genetic therapy allowed him to painfully continue living well beyond the normal life expectancy. That had been in 2037 A.D. Now mankind simply let you sleep for six weeks every 10 years to regenerate the damage done to your body. Of course, more than half a millennium had passed since the Terran way had been the only human way.

Out before his eyes, his siege machinery was the best in the world: Clean shard invaders with quantum back pack generators with probability sheathing to protect most of their body, repair rovers and transport rovers to ferry his men back to Bunker 118 which he had successfully taken over five years ago. This base, this blasted base was the sore spot in his side. Mount Helen was the most easily accessible route by which he could cut into the 'soft' belly of Colonel Santiago's Federation of soldier-citizens. Yet, to the north of the path Defiance Freehold guarded was an overactive fungal bloom due to a fusion meltdown during the Hive-Spartan Vendetta (2274-2303 A.D.), and to the south of this blasted thorn was nothing but five thousand kilometers of high peaks and no passes through the Duned Desert; not even the mind worms survived that hell hole.

Zakharov had ordered a special construction of three air bases through his new territory in order to bring his infamous Hawk Eyes battalions of Tachyon needlepoint jets and bombers. So far the Hunter-Seeker Algorithm had kept his stationed units safe from probe attacks. He had even gone so far as to mount ancient Particle cannons on a few skirmships to bombard Defiance Freehold from the sea; nothing seemed to be able to take down Defiance Freehold. They did not do much damage but they did keep many of the turrets and fox holes of the besieged dragon of Defiance Freehold from coming out to give retaliatory fire.

For five years he had been operating this siege. In those five years he had seen many things happen, both good and bad: none of them good enough to take the blasted fortress. He had wasted much of his valuable time fighting the war mongers into their final cubby hole. The Spartan Federation had lost their sea power when his Vice-Provost of Maritime Defence or (VPoMD) had surprised the Spartan destroyers in their harbors and sank most of the gray and black flag toting harlots. No rich mineral producer existed but the battered form before his eyes, and thus much of the industry of the Spartan Federation was here meaning he need not worry about air battles or conventional missiles. He was fighting a straight-forward siege against the most elaborate and well-defended fortress in all of existence: it seemed as much anyway. Alexander had taken Tyre in just nine months! He felt five years said little about his _good _capabilities.

As he was looking out over the advancing right flank a commlink message appeared on the screen before him, alerting him of CRITICAL news. He flicked open the message and read with eyes wide. Student riots protesting the war? What the hell was he leading: a democracy?

Feeling a little more than upset he responded promptly that their demands were to not be heard and that the Vice-Provost of Student Affairs (VPoSA) should staple their nerves to become drone workers.

Having settled yet another issue, Zakharov tried to focus back on his strategizing. This effort failed due to another message being sent labeled IMPORTANT. As he flicked open the important message on the commlink Zakharov felt an aneurysm begin to worm its' way through his heart. Colonel Santiago would solicit sex to end the vendetta?

Dead. Zakharov, probably the oldest and most intelligent man of mankind, died from an aneurysm caused by massive blood flow through his...leftover brains. Just goes to show that some facts about certain bases become given; Defiance Freehold would never be taken by force.

What a day...

**(Story)**

**AN: May 15th, 2011: I just had to get this idea out of my head real quick before I continued editing other stories. I've been playing the game for the past few days and was stuck fighting the same base on a narrow bridge trying to get to the goodies on the other side and it took about half a century. Go figure right?**

**Author's Announcements:**

I know hardly anyone reads my profile (which wouldn't matter since it's out of date anyway), so I have posted these following announcements in all of my stories to let you formally know that I will be attempting to write chapters for most of my stories once again. I cannot guarantee anything, but I am most willing to make the effort.

That's the important part. Here come the details (your queue to leave if you want).

**Reasons Why I Haven't Been Writing:**

Well…geez, put me on the spot without time for cookies or milk. I haven't been writing mostly because of the combined dedications my life has required of me. In the time since I wrote _Memoirs of a Time Traveler_ I have done the following things, each further complicating my life as a burgeoning adult:

1. Began a polyamorous relationship.

2. Managed to get my girlfriend of five years pregnant.

3. Fought with the parents of the newest member of our 'Triad' in the Triangular relationship.

4. Finally given up the idea of trying to treat both of my girlfriends equal in public status and married my pregnant girlfriend (to avoid the evil state of Indiana's bureaucracy).

5. Had my mother-in-law move in to help us with bills.

6. Had a child whom we call Alex.

7. Managed to obtain a 35 hour job (which previously had been 20 hours since after #3 but before #4).

8. Have continued my undergraduate education throughout the entire process.

**Reasons Why I Will Begin Writing Anew:**

These are the reasons why I'm more optimistic about a renewed writing!

1. Resigned from my job since my boss is a douche and was probably going to fire me anyway.

2. Finals are over!

3. Looking for another job and taking care of Alex, but still plenty of free time from the additional hours (some 70 in my week) which have been freed up recently.

4. Because I hate to see 'abandoned' on my stories!

I look forward to presenting everyone with wonderful new material on old ideas. Let it be known, however, that not all of my lack of posting is from a lack of writing. I have written three chapters for various stories when my computer crashed around seven months ago. Don't blame me, blame the elves.

So, without further ado, I bid you welcome into a new age of writing by Ultimagu.


	2. Story Time Line

**AN: I do not own any part of the Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri universe except the crazy ideas I may write about for your viewing pleasure.**

**AN2: Well, here's your time line.**

**1959: **Zakharov is born in the U.S.S.R. in the Soviet Republic of Ukraine.

**2037: **The first genetic therapy is approved for human usage allowing the 78 year old Zakharov to continue living as an inquiring mind of the human species.

**2060: **The U.N. Unity sets sail on its' maiden, and only, voyage from Earth towards the Alpha Centauri binary star system. It is launched in the hope of saving mankind from itself.

**2100:** Planetfall.

**2143:** Construction begins on Defiance Freehold.

**2274:** The Hive-Spartan Vendetta begins in conjunction with the Gaian-Believer Vendetta (2274-2359 A.D.) caused by the Hive being allied with the Gaians and the Believers being allied with the Spartans. Interestingly enough, the two sides were so far away that the Hive never pressed a vendetta upon the Believers nor the Spartans upon the Gaians.

**2303:** The Hive-Spartan Vendetta ends with the Hive having successfully taking the island territories of the Spartans and the Spartans pushing northward through the uranium-rich plains of the Hive territory.

**2309:** Hive Harbour becomes a land-locked base due to global cooling methods agreed upon by the World Council in mission year 2289 A.D. Few other bases are affected by this measure.

**2359: **The Gaian-Believer Vendetta ends with Lady Deidre's capture of Sister Miriam in New Jerusalem. Sister Miriam was brought before the World Council to plead her case of amnesty with the hope of restarting her faction on the Island of Mnemaria, only to be denounced and placed within a punishment sphere for the next 780 years for atrocities committed upon the people of Razorbeak Ridge during the vendetta.

**2510:** Zakharov dies from an aneurysm. He is 551 years old.


	3. END

**AN: I do not own any part of the Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri universe except the crazy ideas I may write about for your viewing pleasure.**

**AN: May 15th, 2011: Alright, for those who don't know my new standard process this is called the 'END' so I can publicly comment on reviews. I hope you enjoyed the brief one-shot. Please review! You'll see a response appear after a little while. Amazing! (Not to mention I'll send a private response if I can.)**

**Review Commentary:**

**Fridge: **You make a good point about that. Though the first time it's mentioned it's only 'global changes'. It isn't until the timeline that I accidentally said global _warming_. Anyway, I'll make that correction after I grab something to drink. Thanks for the help!


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